TV Revivals: ‘The Mole,’ ‘Last Comic Standing,’ ‘Beauty and the Geek,’ and other reality hits we want back
Welcome to TV Revivals: Reality Show edition! Over the course of the month of February, we’ve taken some time to discuss many of our favorite scripted TV properties we’d love to see come back at some point in the future.
Today, we’re doing something a little different and touching base on five of the different shows from the past decade in reality TV that we’d love to see return. There’s no guarantee that any of these people are going to be coming back, or if there is even a demand for them; we just like to think that reality TV is cyclical, and there could be a chance to see some of these properties again in a slightly different form moving forward.
“Bachelor Pad” (ABC) – Think “Bachelor in Paradise” but meaner. It was basically a chance to force Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants back into the mansion, where they competed for a combination of love and the grand prize in the end. Watching Nick choose to take all the money in the final-season finale may have been a low point for the series in terms of likability, but it was GOLD as far as insane television goes.
“Beauty and the Geek” (The CW) – Of course, we’re biased given that we are a former contestant on the show — but, there’s something to the idea of a show right now that brings people together from different backgrounds and allows them to get to know each other. We’re not going to draw a parallel between a silly reality show and politics, but there is certainly value in depicting cooperation on television rather than shouting matches.
“Last Comic Standing” (NBC) – Just think for a minute about some of the super-funny people who were on this show over the years, whether it be Gabriel Iglesias or Amy Schumer. It’s got a great reputation for finding talent, while at the same it’s proven itself to be incredibly funny in the process. The only other “comedy competition” out there is “America’s Got Talent,” and you are lucky to get a few good comedians on there a season.
“The Mole” (ABC) – One of the best strategy games to ever be on TV. It was smart, funny when it needed to be, and it had such a different personality than most other shows in the genre. Unfortunately, there were two things that seemed to kill the show — misguided celebrity versions, and then also losing Anderson Cooper as a host.
“Whodunnit” (ABC) – This show was only on ABC one summer, but it was a gem — basically, think of it as a combination of “The Mole” and the movie “Clue,” where every week a contestant would be “killed off” before eventually the killer was exposed. It could use a little bit more of a narrative from the killer’s point of view, but like many of the other shows we’ve mentioned, this was fun, lighthearted summer TV.
What are some of your favorite reality shows in need of a comeback? Share in the comments.